TransLink has already started moving away from purchasing diesel buses, and recently put a number of compressed-natural-gas buses on the roads in Metro Vancouver.See Notes / Direction / PNG

TransLink's Mayors' Council will consider a report that recommends reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent and using all renewable energy in operations by 2050.

TransLink is considering some ambitious environmental goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent and using only renewable energy by 2050.

The targets and the methods by which TransLink could achieve them are outlined in a staff report that will be considered at a Mayors’ Council meeting on Friday.

“It really aligns with the path that we were already on,” said Sarah Buckle, TransLink’s director of enterprise risk and sustainability.

In June, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson proposed a motion, which was approved by both TransLink’s board of directors and the Mayors’ Council, asking that TransLink and its operating companies and contractors align with the B.C. government’s greenhouse gas target of 80 per cent or greater reduction by 2050, and to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050 in all TransLink operations. The resolution calls for interim targets for 2030 and 2040.

Robertson said he proposed the resolution because it’s important for TransLink to have greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy goals that are consistent with other levels of government.

“Transportation is a critical piece of our impact on climate and the environment. TransLink creates opportunities for all residents to reduce their carbon footprint and climate impacts, so I think it’s really important that TransLink walks the talk, too, in all its operations,” he said.

The report follows the recommendations of the Robertson motion, and also says the mayors’ council should ask TransLink to consider buying renewable fuels when available and cost-effective, and direct the transit authority to apply for external grants and funding for the capital investments required to transition to electrification.

Buckle said the goals are ambitious — particularly going to 100 per cent renewable energy — but achievable.

The transit authority has spent the past year developing the first phase of a low-carbon fleet strategy. The work done so far shows there are two options for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions: renewable fuels and electrification.

Using renewable fuels can produce early reductions, but only significant electrification, through expanding the trolley bus network, and buying more battery electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses, can achieve the goal.

The report states that fleet costs through electrification over the next 30 years are projected to be marginally less expensive than using diesel because of fuel cost savings.

When it comes to meeting the goal of using only renewable energy, the report states that TransLink’s entire fleet — buses, highway coaches, police cars, maintenance vehicles and more — would have to run on batteries, hydrogen fuel cells or on other renewable fuels. Facilities would be primarily powered by electricity and, where required, by renewable natural gas. New buildings would be designed and built to produce nearly no greenhouse gases and renewable energy sources such as solar panels could be used.

Buckle said TransLink is already moving toward hybrid and compressed natural gas buses. It is also setting up a demonstration program using four battery-powered buses on a route outfitted with two charging stations.

On the facilities side, an energy management program is already in place for the bus companies, TransLink has conducted energy studies, and efficiency projects and upgrades are in the works.

Gord Lovegrove, an associate professor at University of B.C. Okanagan’s school of engineering, said there are many ways that TransLink can meet the targets set out in the report, and the targets are realistic.

“Being a political organization with mayors leading the charge on this, if anything it’s conservative,” Lovegrove said. “I really don’t see any problem with this.”

Robertson said he’s glad to see TransLink staff make the recommendations outlined in the report.

“There is very strong support from Metro mayors and TransLink staff to take this next step, so I’m hopeful we see unanimous support for this direction and recognize that it’s a key priority. There’s no good reason to delay this,” he said.

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